The Best FIFA Football Awards are set to get underway on Tuesday evening, with some of the sport’s most notable stars up for awards that span across the men’s and women’s game
Everything you need to know ahead of the Best FIFA Football Awards
- Location and Timing: The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, December 16, at the Fairmont Katara Hall in Doha, Qatar, starting at 8:00pm local time (5:00pm GMT). The event is being held in Doha to coincide with the “football festival” week, occurring just two days before the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final in the same city.
- How to Watch: You can stream the entire ceremony live and for free directly on FIFA+ or the official FIFA website. No paid subscription is required to watch the event, though you may need to register for a free account to access the high-quality stream.
- Men’s Player Nominees: The shortlist is headlined by Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), alongside stars like Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). Notable omissions include Vinícius Júnior, whose absence from the final list has sparked significant debate among fans and pundits.
- Men’s Player Prediction: Ousmane Dembele is the heavy favourite to win after securing the Ballon d’Or earlier this year and leading PSG to a historic treble. However, young prodigy Lamine Yamal is considered a serious dark horse due to his electrifying breakout season, which may have swayed the votes of national team captains.
- Women’s Player Nominees: Current holder Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona) leads a field dominated by Spanish and English talent, including her team-mates Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro. The English Women’s Super League is also well represented, with Chelsea stars Lauren James and Lucy Bronze vying for the top honour.
- Women’s Player Prediction: It would be a major shock if anyone other than Aitana Bonmatí took home the trophy. Having already won the Ballon d’Or Feminin, she is widely expected to complete a “double-treble” of individual awards, continuing her dominance of women’s football.
- Coaching Nominees: Luis Enrique (PSG) and Hansi Flick (Barcelona) are the frontrunners for the Men’s Coach award, rewarded for their respective successes in Europe and Spain. On the women’s side, England manager Sarina Wiegman and Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor are the top contenders following stellar seasons.
- Goalkeeper & Puskas Awards: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) has won the Men’s Goalkeeper award, while England’s Hannah Hampton claimed the women’s prize. Additionally, Yamal is expected to win the Puskás Award for the best goal of the year, potentially giving him a consolation prize if he misses out on the main player award.
